The strategic move is part of Facebook's ongoing transformation, prioritizing content recommendations over traditional friend-based posts. Despite Facebook's long-standing reputation as a platform for users of all ages, Meta recognizes the need to enhance its appeal among young adults.
Tom Alison, who leads the Facebook app for Meta, emphasized this shift, saying that the service is now placing a greater emphasis on catering to the preferences of young adults.
He underscored that while Facebook remains accessible to everyone, significant changes have been made to align with the expectations of the next generation of social media users.
This renewed focus on young adults is not new for Meta executives, who have been actively vying for this demographic's attention for years, particularly in response to the rising competition from TikTok.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg articulated his vision nearly three years ago, expressing his desire to position young adults as the guiding force behind Facebook's evolution.
Both Zuckerberg and Alison have reiterated the company's commitment to transitioning the Facebook app towards a discovery-centric feed, diverging from its traditional reliance on users' social connections.
The transition is currently in progress. Alison noted that the company's AI enhancements have already enhanced recommendations for Reels and the feed and that "advanced recommendation technology will drive more features" in the coming year.
He also mentioned an increase in private sharing among users, particularly in video content, although there is no update on the previously rumored reintroduction of messaging into the main app.
Interestingly, Alison's message does not touch upon the "metaverse," which Zuckerberg previously envisioned as a key aspect of the company's future. Instead, he emphasized the importance of embracing new AI-powered product features and attracting younger users.
This shift is consistent with Meta and Zuckerberg's recent efforts to reposition some of the company's metaverse aspirations as advancements in AI technology. However, the extent to which Meta will succeed in appealing to young adults remains uncertain.
Despite Alison's claim of "five quarters of healthy growth in young adult app usage in the US and Canada," with 40 million young adult daily active users, this figure represents a relatively small portion of the 205 million daily US Facebook users reported by the company in February, the last time it disclosed user numbers for the app.
